The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-13
The Dragon of the Plains.

ty known as the Pacific Coast Pioneers
This society is composed OF the cold
timers" OF California. No man whit
arrived on the Pacific coast later thai
1852 is admitted to membership
The pioneers have fine hall, contain
ing cabinent OF ores and mineral
and large collection OF curiositie.
gathered in all parts OF the world. TIN
hall is place OF daily resort for al
old "Forty.niners" who find tim
hanging heavy on their hands. Will
these men stories of the early days o
gold digging in California and adven
lures on the "Plains" are always il
order. Even when til e regular month
ly meetings are held the amount o
business to be transacted is so email
that it can be dispatched in a few
minutes, when all present are ready
for the "yarn spinning" which almost
invariably ensues.
At the hall few evenings ago sever
al OF the "Old Boys" as the pioneers
are lovingly called by our Pacific
coasters, were talking over early day.
in California. After number OF sto
ries had been been told Bud Crowner
n member from "Old Missouri" COL
the floor.
81 shall never forget my first bal
In California" said Bud. at was II,
Hangtown (now Placerville), in 80
In crossin' the plains we had all kinds
of bad luck. We had some OF oul
bosses stold by The Injuns and some
got alkalied and list materially dried
Up inter mummes as they walked
along. The poor critters was nothing
out skin and bones. All elst had
bin eat out'n 'em by the alkali
water and by the alkali they
cot in gnawing inter the ground
after theroots OF the grass, off'n which
The critters of the head trains had eat
;he tops. The animals was nothin'
more than mechanical machines. ]
actually saw one boss hobble along at
lis usual gait full half mile after he
vas dead. The poor, dried.up old fell
er had so little life in him that he did
lot know when it left, and his bones
md skin jist went right along till
tumble tumbled him over.
"Well, when our HOSES died of we
eft behind wagons, provisions, tools,
md everything but the little we could
pack on our backs. 1t soon got to
be every TELLER for himself, and Injun
take the hindmost. Some of my com
pany got in with parties who was still
crawin' along with OK teams, but ]
pushed right ahead afoot, and tuck
the desperate chances OF gittin' bite
of grub here and there on the road. /
walked right along by the OK Wagons
and by lots of boss teams. Nesllg
naked and half starved, finally got
to the Humboldt River. | found a
big party OF immigrants camped thar
for day or two to rest their stock,
wash clothes, bake bread, and the
like.
81 was rough-looking customer;
the wust in all that congregation. |
had on an old red roundabout or
warmer, as we call it, that I'd worn
all the way from Pike, jean trousers
that was ready to drop off me, and
pair OF moccasins that | got from
Shoshone Injun for q jacknife. A more
devastated critter nor what / was
you never seed. A man at the camp
tuck pity on me an shown me two
pairs OF green baize drawers, told me
il I'd wash 'em | might have one pair
Tor my trouble.
"As the drawers vas sound and
much better than my old pantaloons,
Jumped at the chance. So | washed
the articles and hung 'em up on a
bunch OF willers at the edge OF the riv-
err to dry. Presently the TELLER come
and tuck one pair, leavin' the other
for me- He was little spindlln' bit
OF n cuss, while was tall and even at
that time, starved as | was weighed
nigh on to one hundred and sixty
pounds. tuck the drawers and
went some distance down the river
from the camp, where | got behind
bunch OF willers, out OF the sight OF
the wimmin folks. to make my toilet.
The washin' and dryin' had shrunk
the drawers to SIGH an extent that il
tuck me bout half an hour to git in.
ter 'em. They was skin tight, and
IN .:ei six inches oil reachin' down to
my ankle jipts. was an amazin'
sight. looked for all the world like
naked man painted green from the
waist down to the calves of the legs.
II walked up and down tho bank Of
the stream for a long time before ]
could collect my feelin's sufficient to
ventur' back to camp. When ] re-
viewed myself over felt so modest
that | went and looked for my old